Tag: Mali

Team Melli defeats Mali in the last preparation match before the World Cup

For its last World Cup warm-up match, played this Thursday in Antalya (Turkey), behind closed doors, Iran beat Mali (2-0). Before flying to Mexico on Saturday and returning to their base camp in Tijuana during the World Cup (June 11-July 19), Iran won their last warm-up match against Mali (2-0) on Thursday. This result comes after a first victory against Gambia (3-1), on May 29.
The match was held behind closed doors, without any media, at the Titanic Stadium in Antalya, Turkey, where Team Melli had started its gathering. Both goals were scored by Saeid Ezatolahi (14th) and Ramin Rezaeian (55th).

Amir Ghalenoei made 9 substitutions in a match that saw two of the excluded players given minutes in the match, including a debut match for Hadi Habibinejad, who replaced Arya Yousefi in the 77th minute. Amirhossein Mahmoudi also found playing time

The 21st nation in the FIFA ranking will start the competition on July 15 against New Zealand. In Group G, the Iranians, who have received their visas for Mexico but not yet for the United States, will also face New Zealand and Egypt.

Team Melli Still Waiting for U.S. and Mexico Visas, Says Mehdi Taj

The Iranian national football team, known as Team Melli, has yet to secure entry visas for Mexico and the United States ahead of their upcoming international fixtures. This was confirmed by Mehdi Taj, the head of the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI).

Taj also provided insight into the team’s recent friendly match arrangements and the logistical challenges involved.

“The reality is that the region has been affected by war. Qatar and the UAE lost their FIFA Days in March as a result, but we managed to hold a training camp in Turkey. That camp cost us nearly $1.2 million. Now, we paid $100,000 to arrange a friendly with Mali, and we also covered their team’s hotel expenses,” Taj explained.

He further detailed the costs of a proposed match in North America: “We will need to spend another $1.2 million to fly the national team to Mexico. We have nearly eight tons of cargo, and the plane has only 36 business-class seats.”

On the pressing issue of visa issuance, Taj said: “After the final player list was confirmed, we submitted it to FIFA. Based on that list, we are supposed to receive Mexican visas first, followed by U.S. visas as quickly as possible. The truth is that FIFA is caught in the middle between us and the United States.”

Four Dropped Players May Still Travel as Observers

Taj also addressed the status of the four players who were excluded from the final World Cup squad. “They are supposed to travel with the team to the World Cup. Of course, whether they accompany the team as observers is up to them,” he said.

Political Atmosphere May Have Influenced Squad Selection

In a highly unusual statement regarding national team selection, Taj suggested that off-pitch factors could have played a role. “The conditions and the atmosphere in the stadiums may have had an impact on the selection of players, and Mr. Ghalenoei [Team Melli’s head coach] took this into account.”

This remark implies that the political environment—specifically the possibility of dissent or protests, including from the Iranian diaspora—may have influenced player selection. Taj did not clarify how such considerations were measured in terms of athletic ability, nor whether the player’s political stance or reputation played a role.

Friendly with Grenada Likely Behind Closed Doors

The FFIRI has held talks with the Grenada Football Federation to arrange a friendly match prior to the World Cup. Team Melli had originally been scheduled to face Puerto Rico in their final warm-up match in the United States, but that game was canceled after the team’s camp was moved to Tijuana, Mexico.

The potential match against Grenada—ranked 163rd in the FIFA rankings—would be played behind closed doors.

Upcoming Test Against Mali

In two days, Team Melli will face Mali in what is expected to be a much tougher test for the Iranian side. The match will serve as a crucial evaluation just before the team departs for Mexico.

It could also provide an opportunity for head coach Amir Ghalenoei to give playing time to those who have not yet featured in the current camp, including Mehdi Ghayedi, Saman Ghoddos, and Dennis Dargahi. The latter, Dargahi, has yet to make his senior debut for Team Melli, despite being named in the final 26-player squad.

Persian Version

مهدی تاج، رئیس فدراسیون فوتبال جمهوری اسلامی ایران

، تأیید کرد که تیم ملی ایران ()

هنوز موفق به دریافت ویزای ورود به مکزیک و ایالات متحده برای دیدارهای بین‌المللی پیش‌رو نشده است.تیم ملی

تاج همچنین درباره چیدمان دیدارهای دوستانه و چالش‌های لجستیکی پیشِ رو توضیح داد:

«واقعیت این است که منطقه تحت تأثیر جنگ قرار گرفته است. قطر و امارات در ماه مارس روزهای فیفا را از دست دادند، اما ما اردوی خود را در ترکیه برگزار کردیم. این اردو نزدیک به ۱.۲ میلیون دلار هزینه داشت. حالا برای برگزاری بازی دوستانه با مالی ۱۰۰ هزار دلار پرداخت کردیم و هزینه هتل تیم مالی را هم متقبل شدیم.»

او در ادامه به هزینه‌های سفر به مکزیک اشاره کرد: «برای پرواز دادن تیم ملی به مکزیک مجبوریم ۱.۲ میلیون دلار هزینه کنیم. نزدیک به ۸ تن بار داریم و هواپیما فقط ۳۶ صندلی بیزینس کلاس دارد.»

وضعیت ویزا: فیفا میان ایران و آمریکا گیر کرده است

تاج در مورد آخرین وضعیت صدور ویزای تیم ملی گفت: «بعد از نهایی شدن لیست نهایی، آن را در اختیار فیفا قرار دادیم. فیفا بر اساس این لیست ابتدا ویزای مکزیک و سپس ویزای آمریکا را برای ما صادر خواهد کرد. واقعیت این است که فیفا بین ما و آمریکا گیر کرده است.»

چهار بازیکن خط‌ خورده ممکن است به عنوان ناظر همراه تیم شوند

تاج همچنین درباره چهار بازیکنی که از لیست نهایی خط خورده‌اند، گفت: «این چهار بازیکن قرار است همراه تیم به جام جهانی سفر کنند. البته این که به عنوان ناظر همراه تیم باشند یا نه، به خودشان بستگی دارد.»

تأثیر جو سیاسی بر انتخاب بازیکنان؛ اظهارنظر بی‌سابقه رئیس فدراسیون

تاج سپس به موضوعی اشاره کرد که در تاریخ انتخاب بازیکنان تیم‌های ملی بی‌سابقه است. او گفت: «شرایط و جو حاکم بر ورزشگاه‌ها ممکن است روی انتخاب بازیکنان تأثیر گذاشته باشد و آقای قلعه‌نویی این مسئله را مدنظر قرار داده است.»

این اظهارنهاد حاکی از آن است که فضای سیاسی – از جمله احتمال اعتراضات یا مخالفت‌ها از سوی هواداران ایرانی خارج از کشور – در انتخاب بازیکنان مؤثر بوده است. تاج توضیح نداد که چگونه این موضوع از نظر توانایی فنی سنجیده می‌شود یا این که آیا سابقه یا موضع‌گیری سیاسی نقشی در این انتخاب‌ها داشته است.

دوستانه با گرانادا پشت درهای بسته

فدراسیون ایران با فدراسیون گرانادا برای برگزاری یک بازی دوستانه پیش از جام جهانی مذاکره کرده است. قرار بود تیم ملی آخرین بازی تدارکاتی خود پیش از جام جهانی در آمریکا برابر پورتوریکو برگزار کند، اما این بازی به دلیل انتقال اردوی تیم ایران به تیجوانای مکزیک لغو شد.

دیدار احتمالی با گرانادا که در رده‌بندی فیفا در جایگاه ۱۶۳ قرار دارد، پشت درهای بسته برگزار خواهد شد.

تست سخت برابر مالی در دو روز آینده

تیم ملی ایران ظرف دو روز دیگر به مصاف مالی خواهد رفت. این دیدار برای شاگردان قلعه‌نویی آزمونی دشوارتر محسوب می‌شود و انتظار می‌رود چالش جدی پیش از سفر به مکزیک باشد.

این بازی می‌تواند فرصتی برای قلعه‌نویی باشد تا از بازیکنانی استفاده کند که تاکنون در این اردو به میدان نرفته‌اند؛ از جمله مهدی قایدی، سامان قدوس و دنیس درگاهی.  با وجود قرار گرفتن در لیست نهایی ۲۶ نفره تیم ملی، هنوز اولین بازی رسمی خود را برای ایران انجام نداده است.

Iran to face Mali in Antaliya

Reports from Mali’s football federation confirm that the Mali national football team is set to face Iran’s Team Melli on 4th June in a friendly match hosted in Antalya, Turkey. The fixture is part of both teams’ preparations for upcoming international competitions, with Iran focusing intently on building momentum ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Team Melli has already established a training camp in Antalya, where a squad of 30 players is currently undergoing intensive drills, tactical sessions, and fitness assessments. The camp reflects the coaching staff’s commitment to evaluating a broader pool of talent while fostering team cohesion. As part of their warm-up schedule, Iran is also scheduled to play the Gambia national football team in another friendly encounter, offering a valuable opportunity to test strategies against varied styles of African football.

The Iranian Football Federation has hinted that a second friendly match, also against an unnamed African opponent, is expected to be finalized shortly. While officials have remained tight-lipped about the potential rival, sources suggest the move is aimed at exposing Team Melli to physical, agile opposition similar to what they may encounter in the World Cup group stage. These back-to-back fixtures against African nations underline Iran’s strategic approach to diversifying their preparatory matches and sharpening their competitive edge on the road to 2026.

Iran will be facing Egypt in the World Cup.

Team Melli defeats Uzbekistan.

In the first match under the Croatian head coach Dragan Skocic, Team Melli defeated Uzbekistan in Tashkent 2-1.

The first half ended 1-0 for Iran with Sardar Azmoun (44′) scoring from just outside the box. Mehdi Taremi (51′) scored Iran’s second from a penalty spot after he was fouled in the box. E. Shomurodov scored Uzbekistan’s only goal two minutes after Taremi’s penalty.

Both teams have introduced new faces in their line ups with Iran using many of the Persepolis players that have just qualified for the final of AFC Champions League. Sardar Azmoun could have put Iran in the lead but his tame shot missed the target after a quick counter-attack. Iran had most of the possession and was dangerous on the counter.

In the second half, the pace of the match slowed down after the two goals. The various substitution meant that both teams had difficulty finding their rhythm with both sets of new players finding it hard to gel.

The new-look central defense of Khalilzadeh and Kanani-Zadegan was quite solid but a momentarily poor marking allowed  Shomurodov to score a soft goal against Team Melli. Payam Nazmand could have done much better though. The Sepahan debutant still needs much more experience with the team. His punching of the ball on crosses were less than satisfactory and allowed the Uzbek to counter again.

The midfield still lacks a creative schemet=r although Ali Gholizadeh provided some promise.

Upfront, Azmoun, and Taremi combined to create many chances but the finishing needs to improve.

Iran will p[lay Mali next in Antalya m Turkey.

Two Mali players switch allegiance

Mali national football team received disappointing news  before the friendly international game against Iran.

According to ISNA and quoting the malijet site, the national football team of Mali and Iran should play in a friendly match.

Prior to this match, the Mali coach hoped to improve the quality of his team by inviting two valuable English Premier League players. Former Barcelona player Adama Traore, who plays for Wolverhampton Wanderers, and new Everton star Abdullah Ducoure, who were called up to the Mali national football team for the first time, both players declined the Mali national team invitation and will not play against Iran.

Traore, who was also invited to the Spanish national football team by Enrique, decided to accept the Spanish invitation and play for this team. Ducoure also chose the French national football team and declined to accept his homeland football team. This was not the only bad news for Mali before the game against Iran. Hoffenheim striker Samasco also suffered an injury and is out of the squad and will miss the match against Iran in Antalya, Turkey.

The Iranian national football team, which appointed Dragan Skocic as head coach several months ago, will now play for the first time under the guidance of the Croatian coach.

Dragan Skočić, to announce the new Team Melli squad.

Team Melli’s Croatian Head coach will announce the players’ list for the upcoming international friendlies against Uzbekistan and Mali after months of inaction. It will be the first time that the team will meet with its new coaching team due to the suspension of football activities as the result;t of the Covid19 pandemic.

he wants to play in the national team after months, and he will end the wait for the football fans to unveil his team. According to ISNA,

Team Melli training which was supposed to start on October 3 in Tehran, will probably start with a day delay. Iranian League Champions, Persepolis is still involved in the AFC Champions League and will play the final match in Doha against Al-Nasr of Sadu Arabi on Saturday afternoon in Doha.  from tomorrow. Instead, the list of players invited to the national team will be published tonight by Dragan Skocic. After about 11 months break Team Melli will gather together to play two friendly matches against Uzbekistan and Mali on 17 and 22 October. However, the most important issue is the unveiling of Skocic team, which has been delayed for more than 8 months due to the corona outbreak.

* Skocic’s -style team

The Croatian coach does not consider himself a follower of Carlos Queiroz’s defensive style, nor is he going to follow the style of Belgian Marc Wilmots. That’s why watching Skocic’s team is so important in a situation where official World Cup qualifiers have been postponed. In the current situation, the presence of some players in this camp is in a state of ambiguity, and it is not yet clear whether Skocic will invite them to the national team or not.

On the other hand, due to the limitations caused by the prevalence of corona, some players in European countries will be facing problems and this issue may make it difficult for them to travel to Uzbekistan and Turkey. But with all these considerations, the most important issue is Skocic’s style and mentality. It remains to be seen what players he will invite to the national team and how he would employ certain players in his line-up.

* What is going on in the Croatian coach’s head?

The list of players invited to the national team always leads to critics; In this bi-polar football nation, not inviting a player from either Persepolis or Esteghlal or inviting a particular player to the team, as well as not inviting some players due to traffic on some lines, are among the things that face criticism from experts and, of course, fans.

The increase in the number of Iranian legionnaires and the shining of several players in one position, as well as the increase in the age of some experienced players, have raised speculation about the new national team roster. In fact, no one is yet familiar with Skocic’s tactical ideas in the national team, and on the other hand, due to the presence of many in-form players in several positions, few can read the mind of the Croatian national team coach before the list is published. For example, there were various ambiguities about the goalkeepers; Especially since Alireza Beiranvand is absent due to injury and several well-known defenders can be seen in this post who has put legitimate claims to wear the national team jersey.

The team’s defense is in the same situation. In fact, with the departure of Queiroz and the retirement of a few players, the defensive line that was desired by the former Portuguese coach will also change. To these must be added the absence of the team’s most consistent defender, Morteza Pouraliganji. The most complicated situation in the midfield and attack is that there is a traffic of in-form players inside and outside Iran waiting to join the team, and they still do not know whether they should pack their bags to attend Tehran and join the national team on Saturday night or stay put.

 

TEAM MELLI CANDIDATES LIST

 

  1. AMIRI, Vahid     
  2. ANSARIFARD, Karim
  3. AZMOUN, Sardar
  4. CHESHMI, Rouzbeh
  5. DEJAGAH, Ashkan
  6. EBRAHIMI, Omid
  7. GHODDOS, Saman
  8. HAJSAFY, Ehsan
  9. HOSSEINI, Majid
  10. JAHANBAKHSH, AliReza 
  11. KANANI-ZADEGAN, Hossein
  12. MOHAMMADI, Milad
  13. MOHEBI, Mohammad
  14. NOUROLLAHI, Ahmad
  15. REZAEI, Kaveh
  16. REZAEIAN, Ramin
  17. TAREMI, Mehdi 
  18. TORABI, Mehdi
  19. GHOLIZADEH, Ali
  20. NEMATI, Siamak
  21. AL KASIR, Isa
  22. LAK, Hamed
  23. GHAYEDI, Mehdi
  24. KARIMI, Ali
  25. HOSSEINI, Hosseini
  26. KHALILZADEH, Shojaa
  27. KAMYABINIA, Kamal
  28. NIAZMAND, Payam
  29. NOORAFKAN, Omid
  30. KHANZADEH, Mohammadreza
  31. SHIKARI, Reza

More friendlies lined up for Team Melli

Mali national football team invited 30 players in preparation for the team’s training camp and to hold two friendly matches against Ghana and Iran.

The Mali Football Federation (FEMAFOOT) has announced the Les Aigles will play two friendly matches next month. Mali team has been inactive since November 2019 when they faced Guinea and Chad in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

 And as part of preparations for the matches against Namibia, Mali will now face Ghana on October 9 in Turkey before facing Iran three days later in Ankara.

Team Melli will meet Uzbekistan in its first friendly match in Tashkent on Thursday, October 8, and then will leave for Turkey to meet the Mali national football team on October 13. Adama Traore, a 24-year-old player who has also played for the Spanish Under-21 team, has not yet played for the national team and has been called up to the Mali national football team for a friendly against Ghana and Iran.

This player is going to choose Mali as his national team. Traore was also called up by Luis Enrique to the Spanish national football team for two games in the League of Nations, but at that time his corona test was positive. Former Mali striker Conte has been sent to persuade him to play for the team. Last season, he was one of the best players in the English Premier League, who dazzled the crowds mostly due to his acceleration, dribbling ability, and physical strength.

He is not the only star who was invited to the Mali national football team for these two matches. Abdullah Ducoure, who plays for Everton under Ancelotti this season and has played for France’s Under-21 side, along with Moosa Marga of Porto (Mehdi Taremi’s teammate) and Southampton’s Musa Dinpo, are players who have been invited to the strong Mali national football team.